An actuator assembly for opening and closing a tailgate is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,567. The actuator assembly includes an actuator rod that reciprocates in a linear direction perpendicular to the pivoting axis of the tailgate. However, this construction may not be easily packaged within some vehicles.
It is therefore desirable to provide an actuator assembly that alters the direction of force of the actuator rod to the required direction for opening and closing the tailgate within various packaging restraints.